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S. Kaazim Naqvi, Spencer Dew. The Aliites: Race and Law in the Religions of Noble Drew Ali., The American Historical Review, Volume 126, Issue 4, December 2021, Pages 1659–1660, https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/rhab451
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In The Aliites, Spencer Dew examines the historical Moorish Science Temple of America, along with two of its modern-day offshoots, whom the author groups together under the umbrella term “Aliites.” In doing so, Dew focuses on the theological and ideological consistencies among these groups vis-à-vis law, identity, and religion. Through this work, Dew takes a multidisciplinary approach, weaving together legal studies, political science, religious studies, and history. Dew ultimately argues that three things—nationality, law, and citizenship—play the defining roles in Aliite philosophy. Specifically, Dew posits that Aliite thinking emphasizes the centrality of American citizenship and the sovereignty of the Aliites as a community and as individuals through their deeply held belief in the importance of law. As Dew explains, the Aliites differentiated human law, that of the United States, and universal law as prescribed by God.
In making these claims, Dew makes his major contribution to the examination of religion and identity. Precisely, the study of religious groups and ideologies has often given little attention to the importance of citizenship and the specific nationalities to which the members belong. In the case of the Aliites, this is more explicitly stated in the core doctrines of the religion, as Dew highlights their reverence for the US Constitution and American origin story, as well as their continued struggle for recognition from the federal government. However, the applicability of these ideas extends well beyond just the Aliites, as all studies of religious congregants’ practices, experiences, and identities would do well to more carefully consider the nations in which people reside and the ways that their governments’ omnipresence shapes their religious communities. In this sense, Dew’s work represents an important theoretical framework for the future study of religion in America.
